The bedpan made me do it May 28, 2005
Be prepared. There might be a few of these type of entries.
The day after my operation everyone seemed to be in a great hurry to get me up on my feet and eating and drinking heaps. None of these were at all attractive options, especially given that sucking on ice to moisten my mouth had led to throwing up water all over myself during the previous night.
During the day the physio came in and made me sit up on the edge of the bed. The nausea this set off was absolutley the worst you could ever imagine. Anything you’ve actually experienced times 10. I must have looked pretty green because the physio seemed almost as alarmed by the experience as I was and hung around only long enough to ensure I was lying back in bed with a bowl to dry retch into before scuttling from the room, never to be seen again. I was sure I wasn’t getting up again for days after that.
At midnight that night they removed the catheter. When I asked what I would do now I was told that I would need to use bedpan. Another new experience to add to the list.
I will save you further details, but the indignity, uncertainty, degree of difficulty and general awkwardness of the bedpan ensured that at 5am, rather than buzzing for a nurse, I was gingerly maneouvering myself and my IV stand around the bed and through the bathroom door.
i once had to use a bedpan when i was 12 and would have much rather not and i can’t imagine nausea times 10.